We developed an application especially for forklift vehicles, based on the Just In Time (JIT) inventory practice which is a method of inventory control that brings material into the production process and warehouse just in time to be used, which reduces the need to store excessive levels of material on the production floor. Next to that, the DAFI warehouse assistance application also works following the First in, First out principle (FIFO), which is used as a quick and safe way to maintaining and managing inventory and create a lean way of component picking.
To run our software, mounted forklift computers are used, designed to assist the warehouse forklift drivers. Info is displayed on the screen, notifying the driver when they should transport components to a production line and how many components are needed. This is controlled by a numerator that reads the bill of materials and notifies the driver instantly when resources are required. DAFI calculates stock in real time and the minimum required time to run autonomously. Instructions are given to the forklift driver in order of priority. The HMI at the production line is also used to input quick actions into the system including: notifying bad components, extra components, or even leftovers. All the controls on the touchscreen are presented in a user-friendly interface for optimal controls. Data is continuously captured and provided on the main DAFI Client application, allowing optimal management of operations.